How Movie Ratings Actually Get Decided
A small board watches the film, votes, and hands down a letter. Here is what happens before, and what happens when a studio fights back.
Movies
Dated television news covering pickups, renewals, cancellations, casting, premiere dates and showrunner changes, each attributed and corrected in place.
Theater Economics — Why Theaters Make Their Money on Popcorn: The Split Behind the Ticket
Studios take half of every ticket, and far more in opening week, so theaters live on the lobby. How rental fees, front-loaded grosses, and popcorn margins actually divide the money.
TV Pilot Episodes — The Pilot Episode Problem: Why Networks Greenlight Shows That Never Air
Most pilots never reach the screen. Inside the pilot test, why networks greenlight shows that never air, and what happens to the rejects.
Severance Returns January 17, 2025, Nearly Three Years After Its First Season
Apple TV+ has set the Ben Stiller-directed drama's second season for January 17, 2025 — a 35-month gap between seasons that says everything about pandemic backlogs, strike pauses, and streaming's patience economics.
How a Writers' Room Actually Works: From Mini-Room to Back Nine
The Number That Decides a Renewal: How American Television Counts Its Audience Now
Big Data + Panel replaced the old ratings currency in September 2025, and the fight over Nielsen's monthly Gauge shows how much rides on a method most viewers never see.